Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson said Thursday that Augusta’s May unemployment rate was 3.8 percent, up seven-tenths of a percent from April. A year ago, the unemployment rate was 3.2 percent.

"Despite an uptick in the unemployment rate, Georgia's economy and job market remains red hot while the number of claims remains relatively low - especially compared to the national numbers," said Commissioner Bruce Thompson. "While one month does not signal a trend, my administration will continue to keep a close eye on the labor market to identify any new developments."

The labor force increased in Augusta by 775 and ended the month with 265,832. That number went up by 2,109 when compared to May of 2022.

Augusta finished the month with 255,791 employed residents. That number decreased by 975 over the month and went up by 605 when compared to the same time a year ago.

Augusta ended May with 246,800 jobs, an all-time high. That number increased by 700 from April to May and went up by 3,200 when compared to this time last year.

In May, initial unemployment claims decreased by 3 percent in Augusta. When you compare May 2023 claims to May 2022, claims were up by about 25 percent.